To the Editor of the Dear Sm,—If you will allow me through the medium of your columns to call the attention of tea-buyers in Hankow to the following facts, it may perhaps be productive of some good.
A week ago a gentleman from Kiukiang forwarded to mo here a sample of a pur= chase of tea, he had just made at Tls. 28, or say, equal here to is. $2. Imay mention incidentally that his purchase shows relatively such good value that it is worth in Hankow Tls. 32, or Tls. 2 more than he paid for it, Being anxious to see whether present purchases showed any reasonable chance of resulting favourably, I compared it with teas bought last season at the opening of the market, but I found the difference in quality 80 enormous that no fair comparison could be made, TI therefore took a similar district tea that 1 had purchased here in Shanghai last December at Tls. 21, and great was my astonishment when found this to be fully Tls. 3 superior to the muster sent me. quite sure that I was not unduly favouring my own purchase I sent a muster of it to Kiukiang, asking my friend to compare it with his. I yesterday received his answer to the effect that my tea was fully equal to his, My toa has been recently gold in London at 1/1 per Ib. I am therefore confronted with this difficulty. Leaving on one side my own opinion as to the superiority of my purchase and taking the present buyer's own statement, teas no better than recent sales in London at 1/1 are now being hurried forward costing 1/7 4/8 and that with a present prospect of heavy supplies from China, the certainty of a large increase from India, diminished demand for China teas at Home, and an increased stock carried over from last season.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.